Erdogan: Turkey is in Europe

[sioned]

Turks are non-whites who have no business in Europe...

[KingOf]

[Westbrook]

I think Turkey and the EU are absolutely perfect for each other.

It's hard for Turkey to become an EU member with populism on the rise in various parts of EU in the near future but when AKP is gone Turkey will further associate with the EU. I cheer for EU membership simply because;

1 - Turkey is at crossroads and it has to align with something. I don't want Turkey to be involved in the Middle East, and not allied with Iran, Russia, China etc. so the only option left is the West and since Turkey's a member of NATO, the West is Turkey's traditional ally.
2 - For advanced democratic and economic reforms.
3 - There has been an almost 300-year old political tradition of facing towards the West and it should be maintained.

[brennus dux gallorum]

It's hard for Turkey to become an EU member with populism on the rise in various parts of EU in the near future but when AKP is gone Turkey will further associate with the EU. I cheer for EU membership simply because;

1 - Turkey is at crossroads and it has to align with something. I don't want Turkey to be involved in the Middle East, and not allied with Iran, Russia, China etc. so the only option left is the West and since Turkey's a member of NATO, the West is Turkey's traditional ally.
2 - For advanced democratic and economic reforms.
3 - There has been an almost 300-year old political tradition of facing towards the West and it should be maintained.

But, since Turkey is socio-culturally a part of asia, with no more European influence than nearby west asian countries have, it cant be an eu member

[Nurzat]

West-centered and Bruxelles-centred EU won't work. if Turkey joins EU they could be a local centre for it, as most people in the former Ottoman empire (Romania, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Albania) would rather cooperate with the Turks than with the West. we are culturally closer to the Turks in spite of religion, we are both Oriental (in a broader European way). with the later developments in Europe even non-Oriental countries like Hungary or Poland may wish to cooperate with Turkey and Russia more than with the West, who knows...

but alternatively Turkey and the Balkans could stick to their own Oriental kind and join Russians to form the Eurasian Union, which could of course cooperate peacefully with the EU, I think the West sees the East as an enemy more than the other way around.

[Caucasianturkk]

No.Erdokhan is wrong about it.Turks are the least european thing in the world.Even a regular afghan jihadist shitskin immigrant is way european(both mentally and culturally) than us.
Turk=Not European ,not even fucking close.

[Ryujin]

West-centered and Bruxelles-centred EU won't work. if Turkey joins EU they could be a local centre for it, as most people in the former Ottoman empire (Romania, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Albania) would rather cooperate with the Turks than with the West. we are culturally closer to the Turks in spite of religion, we are both Oriental (in a broader European way). with the later developments in Europe even non-Oriental countries like Hungary or Poland may wish to cooperate with Turkey and Russia more than with the West, who knows...

but alternatively Turkey and the Balkans could stick to their own Oriental kind and join Russians to form the Eurasian Union, which could of course cooperate peacefully with the EU, I think the West sees the East as an enemy more than the other way around.

The Eurasian Union would pave the way for authoritarian regimes.

[Marmara]

West-centered and Bruxelles-centred EU won't work. if Turkey joins EU they could be a local centre for it, as most people in the former Ottoman empire (Romania, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Albania) would rather cooperate with the Turks than with the West. we are culturally closer to the Turks in spite of religion, we are both Oriental (in a broader European way). with the later developments in Europe even non-Oriental countries like Hungary or Poland may wish to cooperate with Turkey and Russia more than with the West, who knows...

but alternatively Turkey and the Balkans could stick to their own Oriental kind and join Russians to form the Eurasian Union, which could of course cooperate peacefully with the EU, I think the West sees the East as an enemy more than the other way around.

I don't see the point of such an union, eastern nations are not focused on development.

If we were to be in a union, i would prefer it to be with West. They would complete us, eastern europe wouldn't.

[Bender1999]

This discussion reflects the main issue for Turkey, whether it belongs to west or east. This discussion is destroying the calmness of Turks, the simpel answer is nothing of both. Economically i support every cooperation with EU, but regarding sociopolitical aspects Turks are not western, never was or wont be. Besides of that everyone who thinks that Turkey had, has or will have a realistic chance for a EU-membership is stupid, sorry.

[Adamm]

Turkish economy going to shit and suddently Europe is best friend again.